Great Indian Travel Bazaar: Off to a great start

The 9th edition of the Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB) got off to a great start at The LaLiT in Jaipur, India, on April 23, with travel leaders of the country and the State of Rajasthan expressing hope that India is on a growth path. Arrivals have registered healthy growth in 2016 and the beginning months of 2017.

Joint Secretary for the India Ministry of Tourism, Suman Billa, said that many proactive steps have been taken to ease travel through e-visa, better roads and trains, plus new airports.

There are 275 buyers from 53 countries, who will have B2B meetings with Indian suppliers from Rajasthan and 8 other States. It was revealed that the 2018 GITB will be held in Jaipur from April 22 to 24 next year.

Tourism has come on the mainstream agenda of the country, and it was an engine of growth, said Billa. A game changer was the e-visa for 168 countries.

Rajasthan officials said that investment was invited for new projects. In 2016, foreign arrivals rose by 3 percent and domestic by 18 percent.

The State is promoting film shooting, easing the process even further with single-window clearance.